Dreams Do Come True - Gemini Magazine Here I Come!

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a new and different website to show on our Sites We Love feature.  Not having much time to scour the web, I decided to put my Twitter followers to work.  Not long after sending a tweet asking if anyone knew of a site I should write about, @GeminiMag responded asking if online magazines would qualify.

Curious about what this magazine would have to offer that is different than every other woman's magazine, I said "of course".  @GeminiMag promptly sent me the password for the current issue and I proceeded to read.

What I found excited and intrigued me, I immediately started writing the feature found here.

The next day, @GeminiMag (who is Sommer J, founder and publisher of Gemini Magazine) read my post and sent me a direct message letting me know how much she loved it.  She asked if I would like to write an article for Gemini Magazine's upcoming issue...

HELL YEAH, I WOULD!

Of course, I tried to be a bit more professional in my response to her, yet still wanted to convey my excitement regarding the project.  Sommer then had the magazine's Fashion Editor, Rocky Grate (@PlusModelRocky) email me...it was all happening so fast!

After submitting my article, I received an email from Sommer saying how much she loved it, and that both she and Rocky agreed they needed to have me on board as a staff writer.

WTH was going on?!  How did a feature for my little fashion blog turn into this?!

Dreams do come true, I have always dreamed of opening a magazine and seeing my name connected to an article, or looking on the inside flap of a book and seeing my picture and bio there.  Having my words resonate with someone, make them laugh, question society, or just see a little bit of themselves in what I have written...that is what has always brought me the greatest joy.

I love to write and have been writing for years.  And now I get to do it "officially"!

So, can I call myself a writer now?  LOL

Special thanks to Sommer Johnson (@GeminiMag) and Rocky Grate (@PlusModelRocky) for allowing me the opportunity live my dream.

Catch my first article in the upcoming issue of Gemini Magazine!  YEAH!

Stylista Steals

Random Thoughts of a nearly 40 Something Urbanite

I need to be in Fiji or Bora Bora right now...no kids or husband.

Today is one of those why the hell did I get married days...folks need to check they self.

Republican generally does not equal poor folks...and poor folks need to remember that ish.

If you know you aint got shit, why the hell would you want to bring someone else along for the "I aint got shit" ride?

Lord I can't wait until February...La Juana it's about to be on an popp'in! We got to get our party on at least 1 night before we punk out like some old ladies, sitting around watching movies, drinking wine, and talking smack.

I need to get paid! I will not do 2 different jobs and be paid only for 1. I feel a pay increase coming...my pocketbook is twitching...hee hee

Having children after age 35 sucks donkey balls. These folks who have them at 40 and over are NUTS!

I am NOT ready for winter yet.

If you see me on the phone don't start talking to me...WTF!

I love youtube...some of the folks on there bring me such joy and they don't even know it.

My neighbor is becomig a man...it's interesting to watch her transformation.

I'm gonna have to cut somebody.

Great Products for Maturing Skin

Over the last year my skin had changed drastically. Last Fall my shit was dry as hell..I mean my face was seriously parched, and finding the right products to quench my skins thirst was no easy task. No one wants to look greasy when trying to combat dryness...the key to quenching thirsty skin is not to slather Vaseline on it! Finding the right moisturizer, face wash and exfoliant is key as our skin begins to mature.

After reading an article about our First Lady Michelle Obama and her skin regimen, the author mentioned that she uses Alpha Hydrox Wipes which help to exfoliate dead cells, allowing healthier more radiant skin to emerge, diminishes fines lines and wrinkles, improves skin's firmness, and immediately reveals brighter, smoother, more even-toned skin. Can we just say that these wipes deliver! I use them weekly, or sometimes twice a week for an exfoliating boost. The key here is that they are not drying at all. Often times products containing glycolic acid can irritate and dry out the skin but these wipes have a pH balance of 3.7 which means they are good for all skin types and won't leave your face looking like scorched earth when you are done.

While I was on the site purchasing the wipes I noticed they had other products as well, namely a face wash, daily moisturizer and exfoliating cream. What make this discovery so fantastic is that you can buy these 3 products and several others in a .75 oz. trial size for just $1.50 and in some case they offer buy 1 get 1 half off. What a bargain when you want to test out a product to see if you really like it and thank goodness I spent the whopping $4.50 to try out these 3 products because I am hooked and have ordered the full size product to incorporate into my skin care regimen.

The Alpha Hydrox Face Wash is for all skin types, is soap-free, fragrance-free, oil-free, has a pH of 6.8, is gentle enough to remove eye makeup and leaves no residue. I love this stuff, it is the only product I have come across that works all year on my skin. It removes the right amount of oil leaving my skin well moisturized...not overly oily or overly dry.

The Alpha Hydrox Daily Moisturizer is fragrance free and great for hydrating normal to dry skin types.

Last but not least, the Alpha Hydrox Exfoliating Cream is for all skin types, is fragrance free,has a pH of 4 and is great for those who have slightly sensitive skin or for first-time users of products containing alpha hydrox acids.

If you want to try some of these products on the cheap by purchasing the sample size (which is enough product to last at least 30 days) for $1.50 you can buy them here.

L'Oreal HIP Kohl Eyeliners

How quick can I get my butt back to Target and return this mess?!?!?! Generally I like most things in the L'Oreal HIP collection...I have at least 7 of the HIP Eyeshdaow Duos, but I have finally stumbled across something that does not tickle my fancy...HIP Kohl Eyeliners. Not a fan people!

I picked up 2 of these bad boys at Target at $10 bucks a pop last weekend...one in a plum color and the other in a gold color. I guess this is what I get since I'm not supposed to be buying any kind of product until spring. Anyway, in my opiion all these kohl liners are is crushed eyeshadow in cute little packaging with an applicator that is similar to that found in "pen" eyeliners. This product is nothing special, and I expect special when I pay 10 bucks for a makeup product in Target!

They will both be RETURNED this weekend and I will take my $20 buck and go blow it on something else i don't need...LMAO I will take something back in a heartbeat people...have receipt will RETURN!

Fashion, Technology and the Savvy Stylista

True Stylistas are always ahead of the fashion curve, never followers, always trendsetters. But what about the technology curve? Being the technology geek that I am, I’ve learned a few things about being an early adopter, and although there are some similarities, there are also some major differences…

Ahead of the Fashion Curve

• You may be out of a few hundred bucks when the season is over.
• People may say they don't like it at first, but give it a year, they will all be wearing it.
• The firsts are always the best, everything else is a cheap or watered down copy.
• Being known as fashion forward is hot!

Ahead of the Technology Curve

• Depending on the item, you may be out of a few THOUSAND bucks when the upgraded version comes out in Jan...but, you just have to buy the new one, right?
  
• Everyone will be envious at first, but it will suck when their patience pays off and they get 2.0 instead of 1.0 - “Really, YOUR IPod touch doesn’t have a speaker?”
  
• The firsts are rarely the best, they’re almost all like beta versions of what’s to come.
  
• Being known as the chick who gets a new mobile phone or IPod every 3-6 months is not okay…there must be better ways to spend money.  (this is sooo me!)

In my experience, being ahead of the technology curve only pays off for the few months before the companies release the next, hottest thing…But being an early fashion adopter ALMOST ALWAYS PAYS OFF!

Smart Shopping Stylistas!